Five Minute Friday {Tree}

Welcome to five minute Friday to where us bloggers are given a word prompt and write for just 5 minutes simply for the joy of writing.

No editing or backtracking. No need to be perfect. Just words freely flowing from my heart to yours.

Set the timer, have fun, write whatever flows from your fingers!

Today’s Five minute Friday word is {Tree}

{START}

I wrote this blog below last year and I thought it would be perfect for today’s Five Minute Friday, because the Tree’s has a lot to do with my healing.

This photograph of the trees is actually a canvas that I bought years ago. I bought this photograph for my therapy room, for myself, and for my therapist – as a reminder in life.

I bought this because I wanted to put it up during my sessions to replace these 4 colorful men of art on the wall in the room, that for some reason just don’t sit well with me.

For me energy and connection is everything, and I love trees. I love photographs of beautiful trees. So I saw this photo and fell in love with it, and I bought the canvas, wrote some words on the back of it, and gave it to my Therapist, gave it to the room, and to myself.

Ever since then, we have hung it up in replace of the 4 headed men art instead.

When I walk into my session, it’s already hung up for me! The tree’s with the beautiful sunspot! I love this photo, and what it represents.

We both wanted to somehow make a print up of what is written on the back -to somehow put it on the front.

It’s beautiful wording that reminds me that sometimes trees do bend, and sometimes they break, but they always stand strong after the storm.

It reads:

I started to picture the trees in the storm. The answer began to dawn on me. The tree’s in the storm don’t try and stand up straight, tall, or strong. They allow themselves to bend and be blown with the wind. They understand the power of letting go. Those tree’s and those branches that try too hard to stand up strong and straight, are the ones that break. Now is not the time to be strong or you too will break.

The sunlight that shines between the trees after the storm is the support that heals the broken branches, and gives it strength to grow again.

Thank you for being one of the many sunspots in my healing journey.

I focus on this photo a lot in therapy, and it reminds me of where I am, and that no matter what, the trees always stand, and the sun always shines.

I sometimes focus on the tree branches, and sometimes I focus right on the sunspot. Sometimes I focus on the clouds when I am having a hard time. It represents many things in my healing today.

I love that when I walk into this space during the week, that photo is up and waiting for me. It represents the work in healing that I do. The sunspots that shine through the trees remind me of God’s grace, and that he is always looking out for me.

This photo also reminds me of how to reach in and find what is inside when I am having those moments of silent, or those moments where it feels so hard.

I have this photo at home as well (I bought 2). It’s hung above my fireplace. When I am home, it reminds me of where I am in this journey, and how even in the hard, I won’t break if I allow myself to bend with the storm.

Today, when I felt like I couldn’t find the words, I looked over at this canvas that sits over my fireplace, and I was reminded of where I am, and that I have been through a storm this past week – but I am still standing, and I feel God’s grace all around me, right here, no matter where I am.

Hi Karen,
Such a lovely metaphor – the tree. I can see how you have pick a wonderful symbol for your healing. I love the story of how you’ve changed the picture in your therapy room. There are so many levels of health in that story. First that you recognized that the colorful men picture bothered you. And you didn’t make yourself endure it even if you couldn’t explain why it bothers you. AND that you communicated this with your therapist. AND that you creatively came up with a solution. AND that he so wonderfully accepted your solution to the problem. WOW! Such an excellent example of first rate self care while being considerate of others’ needs.

I love what you wrote on the back. So many great parts to this story.

And I love trees too. Do you have a favorite type of tree? Mine is Cottonwood. I love the smell of the budding leaves. And I love that bees gather this sticky wonderful smelling sap on the leaf buds to use to make propolis. The propolis is used to protect their hives from insects and other pests. We use propolis as a medicinal. And it’s the propolis that gives beeswax its pleasant smell.

What a lovely thought, Karen. I also love tree’s. When I walk my dog, they are what helps ground me into the present moment. I have never thought of them like this. Your message will stay with me, thank you

Dear Karen,
Thank you for sharing.Trees are really symbolic to my own healing, earier this year, I found , ‘what I call my reference guide!’ I think I will blog it , thanks for reminding me of the changes, like trees , as we heal, we are changing!…lol
love Ziggy
Sending soothing thoughts and positive energy!